How Tea Helps to Relieve the Common Cold
On a Saturday morning last October, I woke up not feeling well. I brushed it off quickly, assuming my allergies had simply worsened overnight. I reached for my bedside water bottle and took a sip. Once I swallowed, my throat felt scratchy and swollen. I kept sipping my water in hopes that the soreness would be relieved, but instead, the pain worsened the more I swallowed, and I also started to feel a tickle creeping up my throat. In addition, I was very congested. The first signs of a cold. I had to leave for a cheer competition in the next couple of hours, so this was not ideal. Competitions can be pretty stressful, and stress is sometimes controlled by breathing. As a result, when congested, breathing becomes even more difficult. Reality began to set in, so my mom brought me cold medicine and chamomile tea with lemon and honey. Combined with the effects of the cold medicine, the properties and flavor of the tea soothed my throat and relieved my congestion. From my personal experience, tea always provides a sense of relief when I find myself under the weather. Since many people associate drinking tea with relief from sickness, I decided to research how specific teas can help relieve symptoms of the common cold.
The common cold is caused by a virus that causes inflammation in the membranes that line the nose and throat. This sickness is easily spread to others through airborne droplets being inhaled. Typical symptoms include congestion, sore and tickly throat, sneezing, watery eyes, and a low-grade fever. When you contract a sickness such as the common cold or the flu, your body springs into action by releasing white blood cells to fight off the infection, which causes an increase in bodily inflammation. Doctors recommend rest and hydration as solid remedies for getting over a cold, but many people still must attend work or school during the time of their sickness. In this case, tea can be consumed to help people survive their daily lives with cold symptoms.
Tea may not eliminate a cold, but it sure can ease cold symptoms. The beverage has many benefits, such as hydrating the body, alleviating soreness in the throat, helping with congestion, as well as relieving headaches caused by sinus pressure. Tea also increases antibacterial properties which aid in quickly recovering from colds.
Many types of tea have been proven to resolve cold symptoms, including peppermint tea, chamomile tea, ginger tea, elderberry tea, hibiscus tea, and green tea. Peppermint tea contains menthol, a naturally occurring chemical, which helps with the cough commonly associated with a cold. As a result of this, peppermint tea acts as a cough drop while both soothing the cough and getting rid of congestion. The flowers in chamomile tea help facilitate needed rest. The flavonoids in the petals of these flowers contain a tranquilizing reaction, leading to momentary relief during sleep. Ginger tea soothes a sore throat and contains gingerols and shogaols: two compounds that are proven to be anti-inflammatory. Fresh ginger also has antibacterial properties, reducing the effect of respiratory symptoms. Elderberry tea can reduce the duration of a cold and alleviate respiratory symptoms. It has also been discovered that black elder, the most common form of elderberry, contains antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Hibiscus tea is rich in vitamin C and iron, along with many other antioxidants, which help the immune system stay strong enough to fight off bacteria. The antioxidants in green tea cleanse the body of any bad bacteria and free radicals. Additionally, the glycoproteins and catechins also present in green tea have been observed to reduce coughing. If you are looking for a tea to help strengthen your body’s defense, check out 50Cups Immune Booster Tea.
Though various types of tea are proven to relieve cold symptoms, they should in no way be consumed as a substitute for antibiotics or medicine prescribed for an illness. Patients should consult with their doctor about what is ideal to consume with their diagnosis.
With all the germs in today’s world, catching a cold at some point seems inevitable, especially as the weather turns colder. So as summer comes to a close and the crisp, chilly air of fall gradually creeps in, remember that there is always a cup of tea waiting once you start to get the sniffles again.